The Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs authorized the Precision Machinery Research & Development Center (PMC) to set up the 2017 national controller competition as a platform for deep promotion and application of controllers in Taiwan. In 2017, this competition involved not only machine tools and controllers, but also support for professional lecturers from six sponsors, including Yang Iron, Falcon, Syntec, Advantech-LNC, Delta and Blaser Swisslube Taiwan.

The competition was divided into two parts, one being machining performance, which focuses on machining operations using Taiwanese controllers; the other is creative application, which aims to develop software for smart machines or cloud services. The goal of the 2017 national controller competition was to hold the competition after learning, so several technical workshops were planned. Students could learn about Taiwanese controllers from basic theories to high-end technologies such as the parameter adjustment of servo motors and cloud services during the competition period.

A total of 194 students of 48 teams from 20 universities competed for prizes of around NT$1 million in the 2017 national controller competition. In the Machining Performance Group, the 1st place winners are National Chin-Yi University of Technology, National Formosa University and National Kaohsiung University of Application Sciences for Syntec, Advantech-LNC, and Delta controllers. On the other hand, smart machine research was the mainstream creative application group this year. The top-three subjects were related to smart machines, including the high-efficiency cutting module of National Chung Cheng University, the smart tool services with wireless knife holder of National Kaohsiung First University of Application Sciences, and the prediction system of machining performance indicators from National Chung Hsing University.The IDB will continue to promote Taiwanese controllers in the future by extending their application, training excellent students and reducing the gaps between academic and industrial requirements for students, in the hope that students can continue to research Taiwanese controllers and become a new force to join the controller industry immediately after graduation.